Contemplating maternity in an era of choice : explorations into discourses of reproduction

Women who came of age in the late twentieth century were raised in the era of choice; they grew up believing that reproductive decision-making is a political right, a responsibility of women living the successes of second wave feminism, and under their control. Contemplating Maternity in an Era of Choice: Explorations into Discourses of Reproduction explores contemporary maternity both within and in light of these late-twentieth century understandings. Employing a variety of feminist communication approaches, the volume's contributors discuss how discourses of choice shape and are shaped by women's identities and experiences as (non)mothers and how those same discourses affect and reflect private practices and public policies related to reproduction and motherhood. Through this process, the contributors illustrate a variety of ways of conducting feminist thinking, research, and practices within the communication discipline. Major sub-disciplines within communication studies are represented here including feminist organizational, interpersonal, rhetorical, critical/cultural, and social movement studies. Whereas many of the previous scholarly investigations into maternity highlight only one aspect or phase of motherhood, Contemplating Maternity in an Era of Choice is unique because it investigates discourses of choice across the arc of maternity and as enacted through various (non)maternal subject positions. Public choices, private control : how mediated mom labels work rhetorically to dismantle the politics of choice and white second wave feminist successes / D. Lynn O'Brien Hallstein No exception post-prevention : "differential biopolitics" on the morning after / Natalie Fixmer-Oraiz Politicizing personal choices? : the storying of age-related infertility in public discourses / Jennifer J. Bute, Lynn M. Harter, Erika L. Kirby, and Marie Thompson Reproductive freedom transforming discourses of choice / Catherine H. Palczewski The commodification of motherhood : surrogacy as a matter of choice / Charlotte Kroløkke, Karen A. Foss, and Jennifer Sandoval Law, politics, and reproductive choices / Jennifer Emerling Bone and Beth Meyers-Bass My eyes cry without me : illusions of choice in the transition to motherhood / Elissa Foster Women, two stories : complicating our "right to choose" / Summer R. Cunningham and Amy R. Pearson The in/fertile, un/natural body : ecofeminism, dis/embodiment, technology, and (the loss of) choice / Tracy Marafiote The invisible politics of "choice" in the workplace : naming the informal parenting support system / Julia T. Wood and Bonnie J. Dow Cutting the meeting short : conflicting narrative choices in one woman's maternity leave / Lori West Peterson Total motherhood and having it all : reproduction, maternity, and discourses of choice among female police officers / Jaime E. Bochantin and Renee L. Cowan Purposefully childless good women / Sara Hayden What men say about women : fathers contemplate work family choices and motherhood / Patrice Buzzanell, Suzy D'Enbeau, and John Duckworth Outlaw mothers raising gentle-men : choosing to disrupt hegemonic tensions between masculinity and feminism / Cindy Griffin and Kirsten J. Broadfoot. CONTENTS......Page 6 DEDICATION......Page 10 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 12 INTRODUCTION......Page 14 Part I. DISCOURSES OF CHOICE......Page 42 Section I. Mediated Images of Choice......Page 44 Ch01. PUBLIC CHOICES, PRIVATE CONTROL......Page 46 Ch02. NO EXCEPTION POSTPREVENTION......Page 68 Ch03. POLITICIZING PERSONAL CHOICES?......Page 90 Section II. Choice in the Public Sphere......Page 112 Ch04. REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM: TRANSFORMINGDISCOURSES OF CHOICE......Page 114 Ch05. THE COMMODIFICATION OFMOTHERHOOD......Page 136 Ch06. LAWS, POLITICS, ANDREPRODUCTIVE CHOICES......Page 156 Part II. EXPERIENCES OF CHOICE......Page 176 Section I. Pregnancy and Choice......Page 178 Ch07. MY EYES CRY WITHOUT ME......Page 180 Ch08. TWO WOMEN, TWO STORIES......Page 200 Ch09. THE IN/FERTILE, UN/NATURAL BODY......Page 222 Section II. Working with Choice......Page 242 Ch10. THE INVISIBLE POLITICS OF“CHOICE” IN THE WORKPLACE......Page 244 Ch11. CUTTING THE MEETING SHORT......Page 268 Ch12. TOTAL MOTHERHOOD AND HAVING IT ALL......Page 288 Section III. Ongoing Choices......Page 308 Ch13. PURPOSEFULLYCHILDLESS GOOD WOMEN......Page 310 Ch14. WHAT MEN SAY ABOUT WOMEN......Page 332 Ch15. OUTLAW MOTHERSRAISING GENTLE-MEN......Page 354 INDEX......Page 374 ABOUT THE AUTHORS......Page 378 Contemplating Maternity explore how discourses of choice shape and are shaped by womenOs identities and experiences as (non)mothers and how those same discourses affect and reflect private practices and public policies related to reproduction and motherhood. This volume is unique because it investigates discourses of choice across the arc of maternity and as enacted through various (non)maternal subject positions.